GuidePower & facilities
Battery maintenance for UPS and inverter systems
By Inara Crest Engineering 1 min read
Batteries are the part of a backup power system most likely to fail. Temperature control, testing and planned replacement keep them ready.
A UPS or inverter is only as good as its batteries. Unlike most equipment, batteries wear out whether or not they are used.
1. Keep them cool
Lead-acid batteries are typically rated at around 25 °C; sustained higher temperatures shorten their life considerably. Keep battery systems in a ventilated or cooled space.
2. Test regularly
- Check the UPS self-test results and alarms.
- Run a periodic runtime test under realistic load, ideally during a maintenance window.
- Compare runtime with previous tests — a falling trend means the batteries are ageing.
3. Inspect
Look for swelling, leaks, corrosion on terminals and loose connections. Never ignore a battery warning light.
4. Replace on a plan
Record installation dates and replace batteries before the end of their expected life, rather than after a failure during an outage. Replace a string together rather than mixing old and new batteries.
5. Dispose responsibly
Used batteries contain lead and acid. Return them through a licensed recycler.
See our power solutions and maintenance agreements.
About the author
Inara Crest Engineering
Engineering team
Written by the Inara Crest Technologies engineering team, who design, install and support software, network, security, power and data centre systems for organisations in Kenya and East Africa.